


washed in parataxis

by skadii



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Iris has a crush, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Prompto has a CRUSH-crush, Prompto takes photos, cant i just fish for like...leisure?, inspired by gladio and ignis weirdly intense commentary while fishing, like damn boys chill boys i have the weight of the world on my shoulders boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25275799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skadii/pseuds/skadii
Summary: They approached Caem with the knowledge they would soon be crossing the sea: a long leg of their journey ending and with it, the star setting on their day as well.Prompto is jealous of Iris' crush, but then he's just sad.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	washed in parataxis

**Author's Note:**

> Title from _camera obscura_ by erica lewis.

They approached Caem with the knowledge they would soon be crossing the sea: a long leg of their journey ending and with it, the star setting on their day as well. When they were nearly at the outpost, Iris – either with preternatural sensitivity to the mood settled between the four men in the car, or with a complete _lack_ of sensitivity – cried, “Look! Isn’t that a nice place to stop?”

Absolutely no one argued with her. Ignis pulled the car onto the side of the road, even though there was hardly any shoulder, leaving half the Regalia in the middle of the highway, and they unfolded, creaking, from their seats, relieved after a long day of driving. There was a set of stairs that they followed down onto the grassy hills before the beach proper, and that led them to a group of sahagins that failed at trying to make them into their luncheon, but then there they were: at the edge of the blue, blue sea.

Noctis led them in circles on the uneven black rock – no sand here – and they took a number of trips and falls. Nothing serious; just a laugh. Noctis got his boot stuck and Gladio had to pull him out, Iris helping nominally but enthusiastically. There was a haven, where Ignis contentedly began setting up his makeshift kitchen and de-shelling the mollusks Noctis had shoved into his jacket pockets with startling enthusiasm.

There was also a dock, at which Noctis installed himself with glowing eyes. Prompto watched him attach some ridiculous-looking lure to his line and cast off with a smile that was, while still no Cheshire grin, so much wider than anything Prompto had seen in weeks that it brought one to his face, as well. He may also have gone a little pink.

The star sinking to the sea was sublime: the warm, blazing colors of the retiring sky bleeding their palette into the water’s reflection. It was custom for the party to stand and observe Noctis while he fished, which Prompto had already found very strange, anyway – Gladio, always fairly good at keeping his role as Shield from his as Noctis’ friend, joined with Iggy and both became alarmingly reminiscent of helicopter parents, yelling “What do you think you’re doing?!” when the line ran thin or a curt “Hmm….you’ve improved” if the catch was large, as if Noct was fishing for anything other than his own pleasure – and so now, with the most beautiful scenery laid out like pastry in a shop window for him to photograph, he was not about to spend another couple of hours watching his friend struggle against the mighty strength of whatever fish were about. Still, he felt a strange pang of guilt when he saw that Iris had joined the others at the dock and was cheering so sweetly. A ratty, embarrassing little part of his brain went: “What, does that fifteen-year-old girl feel more strongly about Noct than _you?_ ”

He shook his head as if throwing off water. Whatever. Why was that a source of competition, any-fucking-way? Ridiculous. He picked his way gingerly away to get some shots.

When they all sat around the campfire later, eating Noct’s barramundi off of skewers with some resplendent sauce Iggy conjured up from the handful of scavenged weeds that passed for their groceries, Prompto obligingly let his camera be passed around as he did most evenings, everyone taking in the photos of the day and of course giving their unsolicited two cents.

“These are beautiful, Prom!” said Iris, who was forgiven because she was actually nice. “Oh my gosh. I wish I could have these printed out.”

“Ah,” said Prom, feeling bashful and resenting it. He scratched the back of his neck. “It’s easy when the scenery is so beautiful, you know?”

“Yeah. Like this one,” said Iris coyly, tilting the camera screen to show off a picture of Noctis. He had taken it in the middle of battle with the sahagins, more a trick of hiding it from the guys than actually avoiding enemies at this point. Noctis was lunging his sword into the open maw of one of the beasts, three others closing in around him. Sweat stuck his stupid little bangs to the sides of his face and his mouth was slightly open. There was blood on his forearms and sweat stains clear on the front of his shirt, so it wasn’t about to end up on anyone’s wall, but Iris wasn’t wrong – with the light refracting off the ocean waves just a step away, Noctis looked good. Dangerous. Hot. Ugh – whatever. He always did. But Prompto couldn’t just say that.

“Yeah, but the prince always looks good,” Prompto said dismissively and against his better interests.

“Yeah?” said that deep, raspy voice that Prompto sometimes, in very private moments and only occasionally when they were all together in the car, wondered just how deeper and raspier it might get if it had enjoyed a cock down it. Noctis came up behind him and clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s nice of you, Prom.”

“Ha,” said Prom, going for casual and like, maybe getting fifty percent of the way there? He tilted his head back lazily to grin at Noct: even embarrassed and a little anxious, he couldn’t help but smile at his prince. Noct generally always would give him a tiny smile back, threadbare but warm. Just for him!

(A stupid thought – as if smiles belonged to people.)

“You wanna see it?” Prompto deflected.

“Hm,” said Noctis opaquely, but then reached his hand out to Iris.

She held the camera out to him and seemed to catch his eye in doing so – then quickly looked away as if burned doing something she shouldn’t.

Prompto felt something inside him take a gentle turn in its sleep. He had been foolish to be jealous, even a little, of Iris’ crush. Noctis clearly didn’t care and wasn’t in the slightest rude about it, and Iris would move on eventually and find someone closer to her age – and, hopefully, someone nicer, too. She couldn’t be blamed for crushing on such a cute guy, all royal and noble and shit. Hell, Prompto was right down there with her, looking up at him like he personally hung the stars in the sky, dusted them off, and came back down with one in his pocket just for Prom. He even felt kind of sorry for her; Noctis was not easy to let go of. He had spent years working on the knot and never gotten any freer for it.

He hadn’t tried too hard, truth be told. Iris didn’t look like she was, either. It didn’t matter; they would be gone soon. She’d forget, and he would not.

Prompto got to his feet and brushed off his pants. “Iris, you wanna go feed the chocobos?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is _supposedly_ part of a much longer polyship roadtrip work but, knowing me, it'll never be finished. So, here <3


End file.
